Top Film Scores: 74-60.

74. Superman (1978), John Williams. I thought a lot of people might hate me if I excluded this classic from the list. I’ll be honest and say it is not one of my favorites from Williams; but it is certainly one of his first mega-hits and if he wasn’t already on the map, this film put him there for good. This is–I believe–one of the first collaborative efforts of Williams and director Steven Spielberg (the most dynamic duo in director/composer history), and there are plenty more on this list. The main theme is a distinctively heroic fanfare played by the trumpet. When I think of the motif, I imagine myself waiting in line for the Adventure Express at King’s Island (since that’s where I’ve heard it played the most). The fanfare is probably the prime inspiration for the title track of the spoof “Spaceballs”.

73. Requiem for a Dream (2000), Clint Mansell. The only reason I remember the main theme from this soundtrack is because I heard it in an early preview for “The Two Towers”. The incessantly driving minor thirds pull you irresistibly into the heart-racing climax of this movie. The last ten minutes was so intense (thanks in large part to the score), that I literally felt like I had to throw up afterwards. Brings a whole new meaning to the term gut-wrenching.

72. Waking Ned Devine (1998), Shaun Davey-Thanks to Leb for reminding me that this movie even existed. I’ve only seen it once, but I do vaguely remember the Celtic music being good enough to put it on the list. This somewhat little-known composer has written a lot of Celtic music outside of film (e.g. “Granauaile”) and my appreciation of his unique style was a major factor in selecting this score.

71. Ravenous (1999), Damon Albarn and Michael Nyman. This music is about as disturbingly ironic as the content of the film itself. There is a very strange thirteen-note pattern that oscillates between two pitches spanning the interval of a major 7th (six on the top and seven on the bottom), over a 6/8 meter. This thirteen note sequence in a six beat pattern gives a slightly off-kilter and unbalanced feeling. On top of this uneven clockwork, there is a strangely happy little melody that is in a very basic 4/4 or 3/4 meter. This complex layering caters ingeniously to the action. What better way to score a movie that pokes fun at cannibalism?

70. The Neverending Story (1984), Klaus Doldinger and Giorgio Moroder. This choice is purely nostalgic. I can’t say much more than that.

69. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), Danny Elfman. Here is another famous pairing in Elfman and director Tim Burton. We see in this film a dark spin on Christmas, as Elfman weaves his distinctly twisted melodies through dark harmonic colorings. Somehow he manages to paint a rich musical palette that takes us into the spirit of both Halloween and Christmas. There are several memorable songs, most notable perhaps “What’s This?”

68. Far and Away (1992), John Williams. This is another score which I unfortunately don’t have a terribly great memory of. Yet I do recall certain themes tied to the idea of freedom, as Joseph ponders traveling to America to seek out his fortune. One great scene in particular stands out in my memory, as Joseph starts running beside a long metal fence. The most exciting music occurs in the climax of the film, as our hero gallops on his black stallion, racing for new life out in the Oklahoma wilderness.

67. Signs (2002), James Newton Howard. This music gripped me immediately in the opening credits. The first sound we here is a very menacing chord in the strings that sets the tone for the entire movie. I felt goosebumps before the movie even really started and I was on the edge of my seat the rest of the time. We hear this static chord at very suspensful moments in the movie, particulary when the little girl is looking in a book about aliens. Mel Gibson turns to a page with a picture that shockingly resembles him and his two children. We hear those strings again. Very scary moment!

66. Seven Years in Tibet (1997), John Williams. The master does it again. (We’re going to be seeing a lot of him on this list). This epic takes us into the heart of Tibet. The music features a quaint little music box melody that is central to the plot. Fittingly, there is a deeply-felt cello solo performed by the peerless Yo-Yo Ma.

65. The Point (1971, for TV), George Tipton with songs by Harry Nilsson. The thing I love about this movie is the group of songs by Harry Nilsson. They’re brilliant, imaginative little ditties that move the plot along deliciously. If you haven’t seen this fun little cartoon movie, I recommend it. There are a few different versions with different narrators, most notably Ringo Starr and Dustin Hoffman!

64. El Laberinto del Fauno (Pan’s Labyrinth) (2006), Javier Navarette. The theme of this movie is so memorable that it had to make the list. It is a simple lullaby which reflects the dark nature of the film. Most of the scenes are cast in shadow blue hues. The melody reflects this wonderfully. Once it gets in your head, it won’t get out for a long time. I haven’t decided yet whether this is a good thing.

63. Three Amigos! (1986), Elmer Bernstein with songs by Randy Newman. You may laugh at this choice. Three Amigos? Really? When I learned that the composer was none other than the venerable Elmer Bernstein, I had to include it. After all, isn’t the music charming and unforgettable? I think it perfectly fits the comic nature of the film, and Bernstein exhibits his orchestrational skill as always. Who doesn’t love Newman’s “My Little Buttercup” and that song sung by horses in the desert (can’t remember the name.)

62. La Vita e bella (Life is Beautiful) (1997), Nicola Piovani. This is a very powerful film. The music helps us relate to the mixture of both sadness and comif relief in the story. At the heart of the soundtrack is the exquisite duet “Belle Nuit” from Jacques Offenbach’s opera “Tales of Hoffman”. Piovani brilliantly selects this famous aria to show us that music can bring light and hope, even in the darkest places.

61. Back to the Future (1985), Alan Silvestri. This goes for all three films really. I felt I had to include it because of the exciting memorable title theme. Enough said.

60. Children of Men (2006), John Tavener. Tavener is an Orthodox Christian composer from England who lives in Greece. This is the only time he has ever composed for film, I believe. His music in general reflects his faith: calm, simple, chant-like. The large bulk of his work is for a cappella choir. The theme he composed for “Children” is a hauntingly beautiful lament for soprano and strings on the word “Alleluia”. It’s vintage Tavener, but it works very well for this film. It conveys a small glimmer of hope in a very dark, “dystopian” world. The other thing I like very much about this soundtrack is the large number of classical music references. Some of those include Pendercki’s “Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima”, Shostakovitch’s Symphony No. 10 (one of my personal favorites) and Gustav Mahler’s “Nun will die Sonn’ so hell aufgeh’n” (“Now the sun will rise as brightly”) from the “Kindertotenlieder” (Songs for Dead Children). The movie is set in a world where women can no longer have children and the human race is dieing out. This piece plays softly in the background while Michael Caine’s character tells the story of how one particular child died years ago. Brilliant and subtle.